Secrets of my Hollywood Life: On Location The Antagonist

  
      The book Secrets of My Hollywood Life: On Location is about a humble sixteen year old Hollywood A-Lister. The book is about Kaitlin Burke (the main character) living a glamorous life but with the average person's problems. Kaitlin's character is best described as warmhearted yet a bit of a pushover. She usually let's the antagonists of the book take her over, and rarely speaks up. 

     
There are several antagonists in this book: Sky Mackenzie, the insane, overcompetative costar who wants to ruin Kaitlin's innocent reputation, Drew, the backstabbing ex-boyfriend who will do anything for publicity, Hutch Adams, Kaitlin's frustrated, loud, crazy movie director, and the least obvious, Kaitlin's mother and manager.
    
Kaitlin's mom-ager, as the magazines like to call her, thinks she always knows what's best for Kaitlin. I mean, she probably does, she's her mother, but she never takes in Kaitlin's opinion. For example, when Kaitlin has to make decisions about what movie offer she should take, her mom makes her take both, as well as a T.V series. Kaitlin desperately tries to tell her mom that three jobs is far too overwhelming for her,  her mom insists it's what will make her the next quote, "Reese Witherspoon". Another example that shows how Kaitlin's mother is an antagonist in the Secrets of my Hollywood Life series, is when Kaitlin and her family are out for dinner, Kaitlin is ready to order a delicious hamburger filled with bacon and melted cheese, as the book describes. As the waiter comes to take orders, and as Kaitlin makes her request, her mom interrupts are and tells her to get the salad instead because of a bikini shoot later that week. Maybe that is the healthier choice, but this situation happens often. Far too often for Kaitlin to enjoy her nights out.
     
Another reason Kaitlin's mom is an antagonist in the book is because she is much too controlling. Kaitlin is in her room, memorizing lines, and is constantly getting calls from her mom, who is making sure Kaitilin is reviewing her lines. First off, this doesn't let Kaitlin focus. Constant phone calls aren't helping. Also, how is Kaitlin going to ever memorize lines when her mom isn't there to tell her too? Kaitlin is only sixteen and it is understandable if she puts off lines memorizing to go out and have a pizza with her friends. Another example which shows how controlling Meg Burke, (Kaitlin's mother) is, is when Kaitlin tells her she is "officially" dating Austin, a "regular" boy who goes to highschool near Kaitlin. Austin is exactly what Kaitlin needs; someone who's not in the business. But that isn't what Meg thinks. She is constantly giving Austin disapproving looks because she thinks he doesn't understand the difficulties of being an actress. If that was the case, Kaitlin would have already left him, as she did with the publicity loving ex-boyfriend she had. Kaitlin obviously knows what she's doing and her mom doesn't let her.


Kaitlin's mom is only trying to do the best for her daughter, and plays a huge role in the book. Although it isn't too obvious, she is an antagonist in the book. She almost keeps Kaitlin from becoming her own, independent person.